South Asia Times (SAT) is a monthly newspaper
published in English (2 pages in Hindi) from
Melbourne, Australia. Contributors supply
material to SAT at their own risk and any errors
will be corrected as quickly as possible. SAT
does not accept responsibility for the authenticity
of any advertisement, text content or a picture
in the publication. No material, including text or
advertisements designed by the SAT or pictures
may be reproduced in any form without the
written consent of the editor/publisher. Opinions/
stories/reports or any text content are those
of the writers/contributors and not necessarily
endorsed by the SAT.

SAT

South Asia Times

IFFM-2014 all set
to sizzle Melbourne,
nominations announced

By Neeraj Nanda

M

elbourne: Indian
subcontinent
movie lovers
and fans are in
for a treat with the Indian
Film Festival Melbourne
2014, gearing up for
the big entertainment
bonanza this year, with a
new international awards
program and a packed
program of films to
showcase the diversity of
Indian cinema to Australia.
Becoming a competition
festival is a feather in its
cap and an honour to
Melbourne which is hosting
the 2014 Festival (May
1-11).
This milestone has
been achieved with the
announcement at a media
conference (March 4) in
Mumbai of nominations
for the five international
awards which have been
instituted by the festival for
the first time this year.
The inaugural IFFM was
opened on May 2012 at
Hoyts Melbourne Central
by Ted Baillieu, Louise
Asher and a host of
India's biggest stars and
filmmakers, including IFFM
Ambassador Vidya Balan,
India's reigning leading
lady. She is also the Brand
Ambassador for the 2014
festival. Vidya’s new movie
‘Shadi Ke Side Effects’
has just hit the big screen
globally and creating waves
at the box office.
Vidya Balan will visit
Melbourne in late March to

officially launch the 2014
festival program and the
awards will be announced
at a gala event at the
Princess Theatre on 2 May,
2014.
Minister for Innovation,
Services and Small
Business, Louise Asher,
who led a Super Trade
Mission of more than 100
organisations to India,
announced the nominations
for the five international
awards in Mumbai.
Joining Festival
Ambassador and renowned
Indian actress, Vidya Balan
and festival director Mitu
Bhowmick-Lange at the Taj
Lands End in Bandra, Ms
Asher said a new program
of international awards
would add a new dimension
to the festival.

“Five international
awards – Best Performance
Male Award, Best
Performance Female Award,
Best Director Award,
Best Film Award and Best
Indie Film Award will be

Paani) and 2013 Gold Jury
member for the Mumbai
Film Festival; celebrated
Indian film maker , Raju
Hirani ( Munnabhai MBBS
, Lage rahoo Munna Bhai
and 3 Idiots ) Indian actress,
producer and television
presenter Simi Garewal;
Rajeev Masand, one of India’s
most respected film critics

(The Indian Express, Star
News, CNN-IBN, GQ India),
and Indian actress, director,
writer and producer,
Suhasini Maniratnam.
Ms Asher said the Victorian
Government has funded this
festival since it began in 2012
and has committed to take the
festival through to 2015.
—SAT News Service

elbourne, 05
March: The Abbott
governments
proposed changes
to the Sec 18 (c) of the Racial
Discrimination Act have come
under heavy criticism from the
Victorian Labour Party. Leader of
Opposition, Mr. Daniel Andrews
denounced the proposed changes
which he said could water down
the law against hate speech, racial
vilification, hateful writing and
preaching among others.
The Leader of Opposition was
addressing media persons at a
multicultural media event in the
Victorian Parliament.
He said Victorian Labour
was against proposed changes
to the Sec 18 (c) of the Racial
Discrimination Act and said the
ruling Victorian government and
the Liberal Party have not spoken
against it. Daniel also attacked

the proposed cut to funding of
multicultural bodies started by the
previous Labour government in
Canberra.
The funding cuts, Daniel said,
were targeted against the Migrant
Communities Employment
Fund (MCEF) and the Building
Multicultural Communities Fund
(BMCF) which may lose around $
6.6 m and $ 14 m funding from the
Federal government.
On a question by SAT on the
threat to ABC and SBS funding, Mr.
Andrews said, “He was worried
about the future of the ABC and
SBS.”
About Victoria, Daniel said, “I
will stand up for Victoria, if anyone
does anything wrong”
The Leader of Opposition
expressed anguish at the rising
crime in Victoria and said, “The
crime rate in Victoria has gone up
in three years in Victoria and that
was bad news.”
—SAT News Service

elbourne, 26
February: The
BJP is the front
runner for the
2014 Lok Sabha elections
but who will be the India’s
next Prime Minister can’t
say, said Indian Express Editor - in - Chief Shekhar Gupta. He also said a front consisting of the Congress and
all other anti-BJP parties can
be effective against the BJP
but it’s unlikely to happen.
Shekhar Gupta was addressing a select gathering of

academics, journalists, intellectuals and others during a
talk ‘Understanding India in
Transition’ at the Melbourne
University organised by the
Australia India Institute (AII)
today.
Shekhar Gupta detailed
the rise of BJP’s Narendra
Modi and the Aam Admi
Party (AAP) as expressions
of the new generation taking a break from the past.
Though he felt Modi raised
‘deep suspicion’ among
many and that’s why he has
to ensure social cohesion
and follow the constitution.

On the question of
minorities the Indian Express Editor- in-Chief said,
“Nobody can exclude any
section of the people while
ruling India.”
But “If Modi comes to
power he is likely to change”,
Shekhar Gupta said.
On a question from the
audience whether Modi in
power will have any problems globally, Shekhar Gupta felt things will change as
Modi being a Gujarati will
be more interested in raising capital.
- SAT News Service

M

elbourne, 29
Jan, 2014:
The TERIDeakin
Nanobiotechnology
Research Centre (TDNBC) is set for a $10
million expansion,
resulting in a state-ofthe-art facility in Gual
Pahari near New Delhi.
During her recent
visit to India, Deakin
Vice-Chancellor
Professor Jane den
Hollander said that
the expansion would
considerably enhance
the Centre’s ability to
focus on global issues
such as food security

for growing populations
in changing
climates, sustainable
agricultural practices
and environmental
sustainability.
The new field of
nanobiotechnology
has opened up a
spectacular new world
of possibilities in
biomedical, agricultural,
energy and other fields.
A crucial focus of the
TD-NBC is its emphasis
on clean, non-toxic and
environment friendly
nanoparticle synthesis,
including the use of
micro-organisms such
as bacteria and fungi
in the biosynthesis of
metal nanoparticles.
This holds immense

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

potential for addressing
some of the world’s
most pressing
problems.
Jointly funded
by The Energy and
Resources Institute
(TERI) of India and
Deakin, the TD-NBC
is currently home to
19 full-time research
scientists, project
associates and
technicians, and 13
PhD students. The new
facility - expected to be
operational by 2015 will have the capacity
to accommodate an
envisaged 100-plus
researchers, including
50 PhD students.
Source: Deakin
University.

south
asia
8
South Asia
Timestimes

M A R C H

2 0 1 4

50 % cut in public transport fares
for overseas students from 2015

By our community reporter

N

ew Delhi : The Coalition
has promised fifty per
cent discount on ‘annual
public transport tickets’
to international students if it
comes to power again in the year
end state elections. The discount
is expected to cover trains, trams
and buses.
Speaking at the 2014 Indian
Education Summit in New Delhi,
Minister for Innovation, Services
and Small Business Louise Asher
said international education is
Victoria’s largest single export,
worth over $4.3 billion annually.
“We are proud of the high quality
educational experience we can
offer international students and
we are committed to ensuring they
also have a safe and rewarding
time in Melbourne and Victoria
and every opportunity to enjoy our
acclaimed quality of life,” Ms Asher
said.
Minister for Public Transport
Terry Mulder said the initiative
would provide a 50 per cent
discount on annual public
transport tickets covering trains,
trams and buses for all eligible
international students.
“Victoria’s scheme will make
available discounted tickets in
all metropolitan travel zones,
including Zone 1 only which covers
inner Melbourne, as well as within
regional centres,” Mr Mulder said.
“The scheme will be trialled from
2015 for three years in partnership
with education providers to
reduce transport costs for eligible
students in eligible Melbourne
metropolitan and country
educational institutions.
“This will make international
students feel even more welcome
when they come to study in

Victoria and enhance our
reputation as a world leading
international student city.
“An overseas student will
now save up to $1105 per year
travelling across the greater city of
Melbourne,” Mr Mulder said.
Ms Asher said the new scheme
joined a range of other initiatives
to improve the international
student experience in Victoria, a
media release says.
These include support for the
International Student Welcome
Desk at Melbourne Airport that
ensures new students have the
information they need to adapt
quickly to life in Victoria and an
International Student Care Service,
which provides vital support,
advice and help to international

students 24 hours a day, seven
days a week.
International students can also
receive a free Culture Card which
provides special offers to Victoria’s
cultural experiences, from sport
to the arts and community events
and the Study Melbourne website,
a central source of information
available in several languages for
international students settling into
life and study in Victoria.
Ms Asher was in Delhi leading
the Victorian Government’s latest
Super Trade Mission to India,
showcasing Victorian strengths in
health and aged care, information
and communication technology,
sustainability, tourism and
education.
—SAT News Service

Payment boost for 3.6 million pensioners
By our community
reporter

M

elbourne: Pensioners and
people on other
payments have
received a boost as more
than 3.6 million pensioners will receive an increase
to their payments from 20
March.
Minister for Social Services,
Kevin Andrews, said the increases will help pensioners
keep up with rises in cost of
living expenses and are driven by the CPI increase of 1.9
per cent for the six months to
December 2013.
“The Coalition Government is pleased to deliver
increases to those on the Age
Pension, Disability Support
Pension, Carer Payment and
veterans’ income support,” Mr

Andrews said.
“Another increase will occur in September and reflect
growth in the Consumer Price
Index or the Pensioner and
Beneficiary Living Cost Index,
whichever is higher.
“The rate is also benchmarked to Male Total Average
Weekly Earnings to help the
pension keep pace with community living standards.”
According to the media release Mr Andrews said single
age pensioners will receive
an increase of $15.70 a fortnight, while age pensioner
couples will receive $23.80
extra a fortnight.
“This means total pension payments for people
on the maximum rate will
be $842.80 a fortnight for
singles, and $1,270.60 a fortnight for couples,” Mr Andrews said.

“In addition, around one
million allowance recipients
will also benefit from increases to income support
payments such as Newstart
and Parenting Payment on 20
March.”
Single recipients without
children on the maximum
rate of allowance will receive
an extra $9.70 a fortnight. The
maximum fortnightly rate
will be $519.20.
Singles with children on
the maximum rate of allowance will receive an extra
$10.50 a fortnight. The maximum fortnightly rate will be
$561.80.
“Parenting Payment Single
recipients will receive an
extra $13.50 a fortnight. The
maximum fortnightly rate
will be $725.10,” says the media release.
- SAT News Service

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

The overseas
student will
now save up to
$ 1105 per year
travelling across
Melbourne.

M A R C H

southSouth
asia
times
9
Asia Times

2 0 1 4

TIV: All about our students
By our community reporter

T

ime has now come to take
advantage of increasing
one’s knowledge and
skills, upgrade to the next
level in the profession or start

a new career. At the Technical
Institute of Victoria (TIV), one can
gain qualification in Hospitality,
Horticulture and Business. The
motto is “All about our Students”.
The Institute strives to provide
quality education through innovative

teaching methods, incorporating the
latest and emerging trends in the
industry. Qualified academic staff,
with extensive industry experience
and have successfully taught
students of diverse backgrounds
are always ready to extend a

NMC: Dedicated to
quality training

By our reporter

T

The North Melbourne College
(NMC) training has
been of a high standard and quality, mainly
because of the commitment
and dedication of qualified
trainers who deliver the
courses. NMC is dedicated
for consulting and training
services to Light Vehicle Automotive industry, therefore NMC training programs
make the difference.
Talking to SAT, Mr. Prabhakar Agraja, Principal Execu-

tive officer, NMC said, “As a
resident from Western region
of Melbourne, I recommend
a mission to provide dependable effective, efficient
and competitive regulatory
service for ensuring quality
of Automotive graduates,
thereby promoting sustainable economic growth.”
“Today’s automotive student is one who wants to
complete his qualification in
an apprentice-type fashion.
This situation suits the small
to medium workshops,
which needs entry level
mechanics who are keen

and willing to learn, and
the student, who is learning
through verbal instruction
and physical interaction
with the various ‘handson’ stimuli that will secure
their job today and their
career in the future. I believe
that NMC will definitely
encourage the enthusiastic
students to participate in
Vocational Education and
Training,” he said.
He further said: “Hence,
by supporting VET sector,
NMC team is doing their bit
for Victoria State, Australia”.
—Supplied

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

helping hand. Modern facilities are
continuously enhanced to ensure
one gets the most from the learning
experience. Places in TIV courses
will go quickly. Hurry and check with
the Institute’s friendly staff.
—Supplied

south
asia
10
South Asia
Timestimes

M A R C H

2 0 1 4

Birthday Celebrations of
Nirankari Mission's spiritual leader

By Raj Gopal

M

elbourne, 23
February: The Sant
Nirankari Mission
(SNMM) celebrated
the 60th birthday of His
Holiness Satguru Baba Hardev
Singh Ji Maharaj, at the mission
ground in Rowville. The Day was
celebrated as 'Guru Puja Diwas'
by the Nirankari Mission at
various places across the world
with great zeal and enthusiasm.
The Sant Nirankari Mission
is an all-embracing spiritual
movement, cutting across
all divisions of caste, colour,
and creed. The Mission seeks
to reveal God also known as
Nirankar to all human beings
irrespective of their religious
faith, sect or community
and thus liberate them from
the shackles of ignorance,
superstition, ritualism and
dogmatism in the name of
devotion to God.
To celebrate the occasion,
family friendly event was
organised that included various
activities of volunteers, games,
songs, dances, speeches and
other fun activities. Event was
graced in the presence of many
distinguished guests including
Hon. Bruce Atkinson MLC
(President of the Legislative
Council – Victoria), Ms Manika
Jain (Consulate General of
India – Melbourne),Cr. Darren
Pearce (Mayor of Knox), Nick
Wakeling MP (Cabinet Secretary
- Parliament of Victoria), Cr Joe
Cossari (City of Knox).
Many guests from the radio
and print media including SAT
Editor, Neeraj Nanda ,Savita
Soni, SBS Radio (Hindi) and
photo journalist Guruswamy
were also present.

The event commenced
with volunteers inspection by
SNMM In-charge and Prayers.
SNMM volunteers performed
PT Parade. Various games
were organised for male and
female volunteers and children
to convey the message of
accomplishing given tasks with
discipline,
Mrs Veenu Rattan (Female
Volunteers Co-ordinator)
highlighted the mission’s
contributions in many
community welfare activities
in Australia and also Mission’s
efforts and contribution in
spreading the message of Peace,
Humanity, Compassion and
Oneness globally.
Cr Darren Pearce said that
the Sant Nirankari mission
believes in responsible living
in society and achieving
noble goals beyond its own
community.
Mr Nick Wakeling MP
expressed his joy for being
part of the celebration. He
emphasized on the mission’s
great partnership with Rowville
and Knox council. He also
congratulated Mission for
being recognised as the biggest
organisation for blood donation
in the state of Victoria.
Hon. Bruce Atkinson MLC
praised the Mission for its work.
He said that it’s very easy to
give advice to others but it’s
difficult to walk the talk. He
further added that in reality the
Nirankari Mission and all the
volunteers associated with the
mission follow “Walk the Talk”.
Mission is setting example for
others by participating in Blood
Donation, Clean up Australia
drive.
Ms Manika Jain praised
the efforts of the Mission in

maintaining the old teachings
of Vedantic era and she
congratulated that Mission
is working hard to spread
the message of love, peace,
harmony and oneness. She
was impressed with the
participation of youth in these
activities.
Cr. Joe Cossari appreciated
the efforts of Mission in
celebrating the birthday of His
Holiness in a distinct style.
He congratulated the mission
for playing important role in
promoting the importance of
multicultural diversity in the
community. He recognised
the Mission as the important
community not only of Knox but
whole of Australia and Victoria
specifically.
Mr Raj Kumar (Committee
Member SNMM) said that this
mission is a Spiritual mission.
He said spirituality is not a
matter of learning but a matter
of becoming. He explained the
meaning of the mission with the
lines:
“We are not human beings
having spiritual experience
but we are spiritual beings
having human experience”. He
highlighted the three teachings
of the mission, Remembrance of
God, Congregation and Selfless
service.
Mr Sunny Duggal (Committee
Member & Volunteers Incharge
SNMM) praised and thanked the
contribution of volunteers for
their efforts during the whole
year in various services at the
premises and in communities
outside.
Rev. Indar Jit (Branch
Incharge SNMM) blessed the
audience from Holy chair and
emphasized the importance
of God-Knowledge in life. He

praised the importance of
Satguru and application of his
teachings in our daily lives. He
said that one who prays and
gives importance to Satguru,
enjoys the blissful life. He
added that it is not enough to
have God knowledge, it’s more
important to apply in daily life.
The celebration continued
later in the afternoon in the
form of Cultural activities. Saints
from the mission performed
dances, songs, poems all
filled with the spirituality and
devotion. Young saints from the
mission performed the skit to
convey the Mission’s message.
Bhangra (Punjabi folk dance)
and Sufi dance by children were
other highlights of the event.
The event concluded with
submerging of the audience in a
dance with devotional songs.
At the very entrance of the
venue, jumping castle was
installed. Kids had real fun for
the whole day. Face painting
and Henna stall was put up
next to Jumping Castle. Kids
got their face painted with their
favourite cartoon characters
and ladies got Henna designs on
their palms and hand. Reception
desk was set up to provide
the information to the guests
about the mission and event.
Folders containing mission’s
literature and programme
information were handed over
to all the guests. Guests were
also encouraged to register with
the mission to get updates on
coming events.
The publication stall
displayed the mission’s
literature in the form of books
and CD’s. Provisions were also
made available for the attendees
to subscribe for the mission’s
periodicals.

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

We are not human
beings having spiritual
experience but we are
spiritual beings having
human experience”.
He highlighted the
three teachings
of the mission,
Remembrance of
God, Congregation
and Selfless service.
Health and safety was given
top priority and all the safety
measures were taken into
consideration. First Aid counter
was installed and qualified
doctors from the mission
provided their services.
Refreshments stall was set up
to serve various Indian snacks
and drinks free of cost during
the event. Immediately after the
blessings from the Holy chair,
community meal was served
at the Community meal hall.
Hundreds of attendees enjoyed
the authentic Indian food and
sweets were served.
The event successfully
reflected the amount of efforts
put by the management and
volunteers and almost everyone
appreciated the planning and
execution of the event.
For more information:
www.nirankari.org/melbourne

M A R C H

southSouth
asia
times
11
Asia Times

2 0 1 4

Melbourne Durbar

By Desi Oz

The 24 Hour Experience

T

he 24 Hour Experience is a
unique participatory live
art event running from noon
March 29th until noon 30th
of March 2014. The event will be
presented as part of the inaugural
2014 Festival of Live Art.
A living documentary of
Melbourne, The 24 Hour
Experience unfolds in real time
with 24 distinct live works
presented in a new Melbourne
City location on the hour. The
works have been developed by
a team of top Melbourne artists
and many more collaborators
who have been inspired by the
poetic minutiae of everyday life.
50 places are available for art
adventurers to embark on this
unique 24-hour journey revealing
what often remains concealed to the
public eye.
Beginning at Fed Square, the 24
Hour Experience takes place in the
State Library, the Magistrates Court,
Melbourne City baths, Malthouse
Theatre, The Victorian Institute of
Forensic Medicine, Princes Bridge,

the Queen Victoria Gardens and
some mystery locations that promise
to reveal hidden perspectives of our
city.
The 24 hour passes to the event
are fully catered for, including food,

drink and quiet places to snatch a
quick catnap during the experience.
Joining the leagues of iconic
Melbourne durational performances
and arts experiences such as White
Night, Nite Art and Life and Times
Episode 1-4 (Nature Theater of
Oklahoma, Melbourne Festival),
The 24 Hour Experience
is durational yet unique,
characterised by intimate
and experiential works that
integrate its audience into the
encounter.
The 24 pieces have been
created through engaging
with a series of community
organisations, bringing together a
group of Victoria’s leading artists,
including conceiving artist Gorkem
Acaroglu, writer Raimondo Cortese,
film director Jonathan aufder Heide,
Sapidah Kian, Penelope Bartlau,
Georgina Naidu, Susie Dee, Zoe
Scoglio, Elizabeth Dunn, Darius
Kedros and Greg Ulfan.
50 first round passes are available
for purchase via the official website.
Second round tickets will be released

The 24 hour passes
to the event are fully
catered for, including
food, drink and quiet
places to snatch a
quick catnap during
the experience.
closer to the festival.
For more information about The
24 Hour Experience:
www.24hourexperience.com.au
www.facebook.com/
The24HourExperience
www.twitter.com/24HourMelb
Source: PiecesOfVictoria

Voice of Amitabh Bachchan
Crime
Stoppers S
success
ikandar Khan , known as "The Voice of
Amitabh" & Managing Director of Star Beats
Entertainment, Mumbai will be in Melbourne
on 16th March, 2014 at the AIII Sandown
Racecourse Holi celebration event. He started
his career while doing his B.A. in economics from
Bhavans college (Mumbai), as a mimicry artist.
He started to mimic Mr. Amitabh Bachchan's
voice. He later started to imitate other films stars
voices due to which he toured many countries for
stage performances with tremendous response.
He also works as a mimicry & voice over artist
for commercial advertisements, serials, albums,
remixes, corporate & audio-visuals, films and for
live stage shows. His latest audio release is T Series
- Leena On The Chuk Chuk Mix.

I

n 2013 calls to Crime Stoppers
resulted in a record 1,115 arrests.
The number of charges laid in 2013
increased by more than 30 per cent
compared to the previous year. Charges
laid in 2013 rose to 3,982, an increase of
more than 30 per cent compared to 2012.
More than 80 per cent of offenders featured
in the ‘Victoria’s Most Wanted’ page in
the Herald Sun newspaper were arrested
because of information provided to Crime
Stoppers. Information provided to
Crime Stoppers in 2013 resulted in the
seizure of more than $19.5 million in
drugs along with nearly $540,000 in cash.
Property worth more than $876,000 was
also recovered. If you see something or
know something, call Crime Stoppers on
1800 333 000.
Source: Vic Govt.
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

elbourne:
Queens land
University (QUT)
scientists say
a native Australian grass
found around Charleville in
Queensland could hold the
key to ensuring the long-term
viability of a crop critical to
world food security.
Deputy Director of QUT's
Centre for Tropical Crops
and Biocommodities, Prof.
Sagadevan Mundree, said
rice is one of the most
important staple foods
throughout the world
but salinity and drought
stresses were putting the
crop's long-term future
under enormous pressure.
Prof. Mundree heads a
team of scientists working in
partnership with scientists
in India to determine
whether strategies adopted
by the Australian native
resurrection grass could be
used to genetically improve

"However it is
commonly accepted that
the salinization of soils
is a growing problem
globally. In addition, the
lower and erratic rainfall
pattern has resulted in
major reductions in crop
productivity, including rice.

"Salinity and drought
stresses often go hand
in hand and both sound
the death knell for rice
production. Rice, which is
also a grass, finds salt toxic.
"There is an urgent need
to develop more resilient
varieties of rice that can
cope with less water and
are more tolerant of salinity
stress."
Prof. Mundree also said
the world's population
was expected to reach 8.32

billion by 2025, and it was
currently estimated that
one-third of that population
would suffer from severe
food and water scarcity.
He said Australia was
strategically positioned
to work with the world's
major rice-growing nations
to develop a solution.

"QUT has developed a
strategic partnership with
the International Centre for
Genetic Engineering and
Biotechnology (ICGEB) in
New Delhi and the Tamil
Nadu Agriculture University
(TNAU) in Coimbatore in
Southern India," he said.
"TNAU recently
celebrated 100 years of
research on rice and has
a global reputation for its
work. The ICGEB is one
of three key international
centres in the world
addressing global food
security issues, with the
other two being in Cape
Town, South Africa and

Triest, Italy.

"Here at QUT we have
already isolated genes from the
Australian resurrection grass
that would be used to enhance
stress tolerance in rice.

"Now we will work to
get a better molecular
understanding of how
the drought-tolerant gene
works and prepare it for
transfer into rice by our
Indian partners.
"The native Australian
grass is called a
"resurrection plant"
because it can tolerate
extreme environmental
stresses, including severe
drought, salinity, high
temperature and high
light-intensity stresses for
prolonged periods and
resurrect within 24-72
hours upon rehydration.
"We are very confident
that we will be able to
harness this death-defying
property and provide rice

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

Current rice
varieties are
heavily dependent
on fresh water.

varieties that will help
sustain the growing world
population in the midst of
global warming."
Prof. Mundree said the
three-year project had
already attracted interest
from companies keen to see
a demonstration of stresstolerant rice.
The $600,000 project
is jointly funded by
the Department of
Biotechnology, India, and
the Australian Government
under the Australia-India
Strategic Research Fund.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;SAT News Service

M A R C H

INTERVIEW

2 0 1 4

southSouth
asia
times
13
Asia Times

Bang
Bang
Hrithik
Roshan
has
multiple
talents
By News Desk

F

rom launching his
own clothing range
HRx – Push Your
Extreme to filming
his latest movie ‘Bang
Bang’ and venturing into
directing and producing,
Hrithik Roshan is a man
with multiple talents. With
a reputation of excellence
in the Bollywood industry,
Hrithik’s hard-work and
versatility projected him
onto the international
scene as one of the most
acclaimed Indian actors
of his generation.In the
2013 blockbuster hit
film Krrish 3, he played
India’s first super hero.
Hrithik also took the
brand endorsement world
by storm, by becoming
the ambassador for
international brands such
as RADO, Oppo Mobiles
and Mountain Dew.

Excerpts from
the interview:
Q: How do you rate

yourself as a dancer?
Aamir Khan thinks you're
damn good?
A: My passion for dance
has been there for as
long as I can remember.
Watching Michael Jackson
dance effortlessly, definitely
fuelled that passion.
Though I don’t think I am
a great dancer hence I
practice a lot to achieve all
that I can when I am on the
dance floor. I would love to
do some live stage shows
hopefully soon! If the right
opportunity arises to take
part in a dance concert,
then I’ll certainly consider
it.
Q: Tell us a bit more
about your fashion line?
How did that happen?
A: I always envisioned
HRx – Push Your Extreme
to be a platform that
could inspire people to
bring out their best and
to never give up. My team
together with Afsar Zaidi
from Exceed Entertainment
and Sid Shah from The
Wild East Group have
taken my philosophy and

turned it into a brand.HRx
together also represents
an extreme state of mind
that inspires one to be the
best version of themselves.
The lightweight product
range includes comfortable
casuals as well as leisure
sportswear teamed with
sports footwear for men.
The products are made of
premium fabrics crafted
with a contemporary
slim fit and dominated
by vibrant colours. The
business model for HRx
has been conceptualised
by Exceed and The Wild
East Group. They have
positioned it as the first
celebrity brand extension
in India, thought-through
and built in the same way
heritage brands are in
Western countries, where
licensees will be appointed
in different categories
bringing in specific
expertise.
Q: We hear you're off to
the US for a health checkup? What'll happen to
your movie projects?

A: I have completed my
health check-ups and, with
the grace of God, all film
schedules are going as per
plans.
Q: What movies are next
in line for you?
A: I have resumed
shooting ‘Bang Bang’,
which is India’s take on the
Hollywood blockbuster
Knight and Day, which
also stars Katrina Kaif.
Bang Bang is set to be a
rollercoaster of action and
emotions, infused with a
generous helping of fun,
romance and great song
and dance routines. The
script is intriguing and
cleverly unwinds into a
thrilling and interesting
story.
Q: Have you thought
about venturing into
producing/directing yet?
A: I actually began my
work in the industry behind
the screen, assisting my
father, so venturing into
producing and direction
has always been on my
mind. In fact I had a very

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

hands-on role with Krrish
3 and was very much a
part of the creative and
production processes.
Being both behind and
in front of the camera for
a film like Krrish 3 was
sincerely a dream come
true and epitomises what I
have dreamt of in my work.
Q: Tell us a bit more
about your fitness regime,
what kind of diet you
follow and what are your
favourite foods?
A: I do work out every
day, ensuring I exercise
at least five to six times
a week without fail. I eat
sensibly and healthily.
This doesn’t mean that I
don’t indulge occasionally!
But on the whole, I do try
and stick to a balanced
diet comprising all food
groups. To remain fit, you
must be strong mentally,
not just physically, that for
me is the key. My fitness
workout is a major release
for me, my own method of
relaxation.
—Source: Sterling Media

OSTON, United
States, Mar 8 2014
(IPS) - On one of
her many visits to
Pakistan recently, Sarah Peck,
director of the US-Pakistan
Women’s Council, spent some
time talking to young women
medical students in Pakistan.
She was struck by their
passion and commitment —
and by the hurdles they face.
The US-Pakistan Women’s
Council is working with
expatriate Pakistani doctors
to find ways to encourage
women qualifying as doctors
in Pakistan to practice
medicine.
Women outnumber male
students in medical colleges
across Pakistan, forming up
to 85 percent of the student
body in private universities
and 65 percent in the public
sector.
But only about half of them
end up working as doctors.
There are no nationwide
figures for this estimate, but
the Pakistan Medical and
Dental Council’s records
show the discrepancy
between the number of
women medical students and
women doctors in Pakistan.
Less than half the 138,789
doctors registered with this
nationwide body are women,
62,315. For specialists, the
numbers are even lower – of
the total 29,914 specialists
registered with PMDC, only
8,056 are women.
The pattern is also visible
in doctors from Pakistan
coming to the United States.
“When doctor couples
come here, the husband
starts to work, the wife takes
care of the family,” says Dr
Jamila Khalil, president of
APPNE, the New England
chapter of APPNA, the
Association of Physicians of
Pakistani Descent of North
America.
“I grew up here, I was
already a dentist by the time
I got married,” she told IPS.
A Pashtun from Pakistan’s
northwest region bordering
Afghanistan, she is a dentist
and mother of two teens.
“It was very hard,” she
added, her New England
twang evident in her
pronunciation of the last
word, ‘haahd’.
The hurdles women

Many women in Pakistan qualify to become doctors, and then do not practice. Credit: Fahim Siddiqi/IPS.
doctors face in Pakistan
and how to support them
came under discussion at
a lunch meeting that Sarah
Peck attended recently in
Somerville, Massachusetts
convened by APPNE.
One of the organisers, Dr
Khalil Khatri, a dermatologist
and former president of
APPNE, was also present at
the APPNA winter session in
Karachi last December where
Peck met women medical
students.
At the Karachi meeting
women medical students
had identified many different
factors behind the difficulties
they face in practicing
medicine.
There are social pressures
and lack of support, with
mothers, mothers-in-law, and
husbands often not wanting
women to work. Families
may help young couples
with household matters
and childcare but they also
pressure them to conform to
traditional gender roles.
Then, those who don’t
go into ob-gyn or pediatrics
have to deal with male
patients, frowned upon in
that highly gender segregated
society – although the women
medical students at the
Karachi meeting said they
had no issues seeing male
patients.
What was hard, they
said, is the harassment they
face, like finding the locks
broken on their changing
room doors, making it

difficult for them to strip
and scrub down. Male peers
and supervisors don’t take
this seriously. In fact, those
who complain face further
problems.
Transport issues and
security concerns, especially
for those working late night
shifts, are also daunting.
“One way to tackle the
security and transport
problem would be to arrange
shuttles for women medical
students especially after
hours,” suggested Dr Nasar
Quraishi, a pathologist
visiting from New Jersey.
One of Dr Khatri’s nieces
in Karachi recently started
working as a doctor there.
“When she has to work
late nights, her parents
are constantly worried.
Two of my other nieces are
in medical school there,
but they also have every
intention of practicing.”
Saima Firdous, 32, a
medical student from
Pakistan who finished
her post-doc at Harvard
University last year and is
a board member of APPNE,
says there is a need for “more
women-only medical colleges
in Pakistan, so that more
people allow girls to study
medicine.”
“Coming from a
conservative, rural family,
I found it really hard,” she
told IPS. “Our culture doesn’t
allow girls to live or travel
alone. I’ve had to fight a lot.”
Her brother didn’t want

her to attend the co-ed
medical school in their city,
Rawalpindi, but he also didn’t
want her to go to the only
women’s medical college in
Pakistan, in Lahore, where
she would have to live in a
hostel.
“It was my three older
sisters, who themselves have
never been to school, who
stood by me and supported
me,” said Firdous, who for two
years conducted a television
show on the state-run
Pakistan Television aiming to
educate rural dwellers about
basic health issues.
She received a major blow
when the man she was in love
with and about to marry, a
U.S.-qualified physician who
had encouraged her in her
studies, told her that she
could finish medical school,
but he didn’t want her
working as a doctor.
“I refused,” she said. “I
hadn’t studied all those years
to sit at home.”
Traveling alone to the
United States, where she
initially stayed with family
friends, was another hurdle.
“When I’m done, in another
two or three years, I want to
return to Pakistan and work,
motivate other girls,” added
Firdous.
“Women doctors are
already respected role
models in Pakistan, in
all fields. Women have a
loud voice in media and
society in general,” said Dr
Naheed Usmani, a paediatric

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

There are social
pressures and
lack of support,
with mothers,
mothers-in-law,
and husbands
often not wanting
women to work.
Families may help
young couples
with household
matters and
childcare but they
also pressure
them to conform
to traditional
gender roles.

oncologist from Pakistan who
lives and works in the Boston
area, and has also worked in
Pakistan for several years.
The Council should train
women doctors from the
Pakistani diaspora to mentor
and help students problemsolve, she told Peck.
The Council could also
use its network to identify
and train mentors based in
Pakistan.
In the long term, there is a
need to “increase motivation
among women medical
students and support them
to not give up,” Dr Khatri
told IPS. “Secondly, educate
society to develop a system
where medical students are
enabled to carry on their
work after graduating.”
The Council’s partnership
with U.S. doctors of Pakistani
origin provides no quick-fix
solutions to these myriad
problems, but it is a step in
the right direction.
Erum Sattar, a law student
from Karachi and president of
the Harvard Pakistan Student
Group who was present
at the lunch, said that the
Pakistani students at Harvard
would help in any way,
perhaps by facilitating video
conferencing for mentors and
connecting people.

M A R C H

SOUTH ASIA

2 0 1 4

southSouth
asia
times
15
Asia Times

Kerala throttling
its golden goose

Vembanad lake in Kerala is the lifeline for over a million people. PHOTO: Samson Alapuzha/IPS.
By Keya Acharya

A

LAPPUZHA, (India),
Mar 6 2014 (IPS) Farming, tourism,
poor fishing practices
along with misdirected
policies are muddying the
famous backwaters of Kerala,
one of India’s best known
holiday destinations. Nowhere
is this misuse more visible
than in and around the 95-kmlong Vembanad Lake.
Bearing the brunt are small
fishing communities which
are caught between dwindling
fish catch, worsening water
quality and the usurpation
of banks – traditionally used
as fish-landing points – by
tourism operators.
“Until about eight to 10
years ago, I would collect
this amount in just twothree hours,” says fisherman
Ashokan, pointing to a mound
of black clams in his canoelike boat. “Now I work the
whole day to procure it,” he
tells IPS.
Kerala’s backwaters, a
tourist hotspot, are made
up of a 1,500-km waterway
network of canals, lagoons,
lakes and rivers that run
parallel to the Arabian Sea
and are fed by both saline and
fresh water, contributing to a
unique ecosystem. Many areas
in these wetlands are below

sea level, allowing sea water
to flow inwards.
Major towns and cities dot
the backwaters, such as the
historic port city of Alleppey,
now called Alappuzha, where
the Maharaja of Travancore
oversaw the building of canal
waterways in the 18th century.
At the heart of this entire
ecosystem is the Vembanad
wetland area, spread over
36,500 hectares and fed by six
large rivers and seawater. It is
a lifeline for over 1.6 million
people living on the lake’s
banks.
More than 150 species of
fish are found in Vembanad
Lake. The Horadandia
atukorali fish is found only
around Pathrimanal island
in the lake. The ecological
significance of Vembanad’s
rich biodiversity has made
it the country’s largest
Ramsar site, meant to accord
protection for conservation.
But being a Ramsar site has
not brought any protection for
Vembanad Lake so far.
The waters of the lake
are now divided by the
Thanneermukkom barrage,
built in 1975 to shut out
saltwater ingress into fields
in a bid to promote double
cropping of paddy in areas
surrounding the lake.
The lake’s sea water ingress
traditionally helped flush out

waste while containing flood
waters. The lack of a mix of
saline and freshwater, vital to
fish breeding, has affected fish
species.
“Prawns spawn at the
mouth of the estuary and
baby shrimps are carried
inwards into the lake with
tidal sea waters, but they
are now trapped, unable to
flow inwards because of the
barrage,” T.D. Jojo from the
Ashoka Trust for Ecology and
Environment (ATREE) tells IPS.
Chemicals from reclaimed
farmlands, illegally discharged
effluents from tourism
houseboats and lakeside
industries such as coconut
husk retting have contributed
to significant pollution in the
lake.
The Thanneermukkom
barrage, built on the
narrowest part of the lake’s
width, closes its gates each
year from Dec. 15 to Mar.
31, and this has proved to
be long enough to hamper
fish breeding and also cause
decomposition of nutrients in
the lake.
As fishing stocks have
decreased, fishermen have
begun using methods that
harm fishlings. Over-fishing is
now a problem in Vembanad.
ATREE scientists have been
working the last six years to
conserve the ecology of the

lake. “We now have 13 lake
protection groups, trained
to check water quality in the
lake,” says Dr. Priyadarsanan
Dharmarajan, team leader
of the ATREE Vembanad
conservation project.
Fishers, whose complaints
on the lake’s deteriorating
health were not taken
seriously for years, now feel
vindicated by data that shows
low salinity and high acidity
corresponding exactly to the
shutting of the barrage gates.
“We want both saline
and freshwater for farming
and fishing, so we have
asked for the barrage to be
opened a little earlier,” says
Murlidharan, member of a
joint farmer-fishing forum and
a fisherman for 30 years.
But the forum has small
farmers whose voices are
not heard by rich farming
interests.
“Our primary concern is
paddy. It is not possible to
open the Thanneermukkom
barrage a little earlier,”
district collector N.
Padmakumar, Alappuzha’s top
administrative official, tells
IPS. “The ratio of farmers to
fishermen is 10 to one. Whose
interest should I protect?”
He is also short of answers
on the ecological degradation
of Vembanad. “It (degradation)
has happened historically.

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

The lack
of a mix of
saline and
freshwater,
vital to fish
breeding, has
affected fish
species.
I don’t have a magic wand
to make things right. There
should be political will on the
part of the government to do
something.”
The resorts on the lake’s
banks blame the houseboats
for the pollution, but the
houseboat owners deny this.
“Houseboats don’t pose a
problem for the lake,” says
operator Dilip Kumar.
He also tries to sweep aside
allegations of declining fish
catch. “You can get prawns
as big as this (pointing from
his fingers down to his elbow)
for 80 rupees (1.15 dollars) a
kilogram,” he says.

south
asia
16
South Asia
Timestimes

SOUTH ASIA

M A R C H

2 0 1 4

India: Women on the move
face many dangers
h
By Stella Paul

YDERABAD, India,
Feb 28 2014 (IPS)
- It was 8.45 pm,
and a 22-year-old
woman was looking for a cab
to go home after a trip to a
city mall in India’s Hyderabad
city. A cab arrived, and the
unsuspecting computer
engineer got in, little knowing
she was stepping into a trap.
Within minutes the driver,
accompanied by another
man, locked the door and
sped towards a forest on the
outskirts of the city. The men
tied her hands and raped her
for four hours. Then they
dropped her at her place and
left after threatening to hurt
her family if she reported the
crime late last year.
Nearly 25,000 rapes
took place in India in 2012,
according to the National
Crime Records Bureau. About
half of these sexual assaults
took place in buses, taxis and
three-wheeler autorickshaws.
A month before the engineer
was raped in Hyderabad, a
court had sentenced four
men to death for raping and
murdering a 23-year-old
woman in New Delhi, on Dec.
16, 2012.
A judicial committee
assigned to recommend ways
to curb violence against
women in India suggested
improvements in public
transport vehicles after the
Delhi incident.
Thirteen months and many
more rapes later, the Indian
government devised a plan in
January to implement some
of those recommendations.
With an initial fund of 15
million dollars, the plan
includes installing GPS
trackers, closed circuit
TV (CCTV) cameras and
emergency phone call
facilities in all public
transport vehicles in 32 cities
that have a population of one
million or more.
According to the
Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA),
the government proposes
to “establish a unified
system at the national
level and state level in 32
cities of the country with a
population of one million or
more, over a period of two
years.” The plan has been
“formulated with the purpose
of improving safety and
protection of women from
violence by using information
technology.”
The government move
is seen by many as a
constructive step.
“This could be the first

Women join the struggle to board a bus near Hyderabad in India. Travelling by public transport
presents a constant danger to women. PHOTO: Stella Paul/IPS.
step towards making roads
more secure for women,”
Kirthi Jayakumar, a Chennaibased lawyer and founder
of Red Elephant, a nonprofit organisation raising
awareness against gender
violence, tells IPS. “It will
benefit women in two ways
– making their spaces safer
and also making more jobs
available for women – as
surveillance will require a
workforce in its own right.”
Jayakumar suggests that
the government must create
a strong workforce studying
video feeds from these
cameras.
Defunct surveillance
gadgets and poor police
vigilance has always been
a security concern in India
– one reason why some
women’s rights activists are
sceptical about the road
safety scheme.
Rapid population growth
and expansion of cities
pose a big obstacle to the
success of any vigilance and
surveillance mechanism, says
A.L. Sharada, programme
director at Population First,
one of the main partners
of the United Nations
Population Fund in India.
Unless the government
regulates urban development,
violence against women on
roads is unlikely to come
down, she says.
“Road safety is not about
making a few vehicles smart,”
Sharada tells IPS. “It’s about

making roads safe for women
to go out at any time of day
or night with confidence.
To do that we need better
governance, better policing
and also a good communitybased support system for
women. Without these, you
can’t change the scenario.”
Sharada cites the example
of Mumbai, that has seen
a spate of sexual assaults
against women on the road
of late. “The government
has installed CCTVs at most
crossroads. But most of these
cameras are either defunct
or of poor quality. Also,
the police patrolling is so
inadequate that women are
molested and attacked even
in broad daylight. Where is
the mechanism to ensure that
the gadgets are in working
condition?”
Some also point to a
“gaping hole” in the road
safety plan such as the
exclusion of trains, used by
millions of women every
month. There are widespread
reports of women being
molested, raped and even
murdered on trains.
A recent victim was a
23-year-old engineer from
Machlipatnam, a city 340
km from Hyderabad. On Jan.
16 her body was found by a
road outside Mumbai where
she worked for a leading
software firm. She had
reportedly boarded a train
from Hyderabad to Mumbai
12 days earlier.

“Whether in city trains
or metros, there are so
many instances of horrific
violence against women,”
says Sandhya Pushppandit,
a documentary filmmaker
and activist at Akshara, a
Mumbai-based NGO. In 2008,
Akshara had co-launched
India’s first emergency
helpline for victims of gender
violence aiming to provide an
ambulance within 10 minutes
of a call.
“But our trains have no
helplines and emergency
call buttons. One can pull a
chain and bring the train to a
halt, but this in itself doesn’t
guarantee either the victim’s
safety or the arrest of the
criminal. Besides, in a small
public transport vehicle
like the auto-rickshaw, the
emergency call button might
well be deactivated by the
rapist,” Pushppandit tells IPS.
One solution, says Anu
Maheshwari of Young
Leaders Think Tank, a New
Delhi-based youth policy
research group, is to address
the factors that trigger fear
among women on the move.
Maheshwari shares some
insights from a recent survey
that the think tank undertook
in 18 Indian states: “From the
data we collected, 90 percent
of sexual assaults on public
transport happen in poorly
lit areas. In most cases, the
driver of the public transport
vehicle violates traffic rules
such as jumping the signal

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

Nearly 25,000
rapes took place
in India in 2012,
according to
the National
Crime Records
Bureau. About
half of these
sexual assaults
took place in
buses, taxis and
three-wheeler
autorickshaws.
or allowing more passengers
than the law permits.
“Our study shows that
women do not trust the
police well enough to call
for help. So improving
road infrastructure, strict
implementation of traffic
laws, trust building and
sensitisation of the police
force have to be an integral
part of any road safety
scheme.”
But, says Sharada, while
laws can only lay down rules,
they can’t change mindsets.
“To achieve the latter should
be a matter of immediate
concern for our thinkers.”

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1947 Partition Archive:
Preserving lost chapter
in world history
B
By NEWS DESK

erkelay/Melbourne : The US
based 1947 Partition Archive
launched its first crowd
funding campaign in order
to collect thousands more stories in
2014.
“I feel like a bottled plant,” relates
Z. Ansari, on becoming homeless
overnight in the wake of riots that
engulfed his homeland during Great
Britain’s accession from India. “I have
no roots. I can be put anywhere.”
As a Muslim, he found himself on
the wrong side of an artificially and
hastily carved out border between
newly created India and Pakistan,
known as the Partition of 1947.
Communal violence engulfed his
homeland and his family was forced
to flee, not knowing where they were
going or why. Having lost all material
property, he migrated with his family
to Pakistan along with millions of
other Muslim families, during what’s
known as the world’s largest forced
mass migration. Ox-cart caravans
stretched nearly 15 miles in length
and trains were overloaded and
packed beyond capacity.
“I looked up to see the same sky,
the same stars, but this was India,”
explains J. Hemrajani upon arriving
in Delhi from a small town in Sindh,
Pakistan.
The year 1947 marked the end
of the British rule in South Asia,
as well as the birth of India and
Pakistan. During the transfer
of power, law and order broke
down. Chaos unfolded as India
and Pakistan were divided along
religious lines. An estimated 15
million people became homeless
and over a million lost their lives.
As many as 100,000 women were
abducted and countless children
were orphaned. Many of the eyewitnesses, now in their 70s and
80s, still remain deeply emotionally
wounded. Moreover the global
legacy of Partition lives on today
in the form of the disputed Line
of Control between India and
Pakistan, the world’s second most
heavily militarized border.
Yet, little has been done to
capture and memorialize the
victims’ voices. This is what a
small team of volunteers based
out of the University of California
in Berkeley have set out to
change, through their newly
founded organization, The 1947
Partition Archive. The group uses
web based “crowd sourcing” to
record and preserve witness oral
histories. Via free online workshops
anyone, anywhere can learn the
basic techniques for recording
witness accounts in their family
and community, which are then
submitted to The 1947 Partition
Archive for preservation into
perpetuity. Over the last year nearly

500 individuals trained as Citizen
Historians from over 20 countries.
Nearly 1000 video interviews
ranging in length from 1 to 9 hours
were submitted for preservation.
There’s a great urgency to record
the oral histories as witnesses who
remember are now in their 80’s,
90’s and beyond. To reach as many
Partition witnesses as possible,
before it is too late, the group
has launched a campaign on the
international crowd funding site
IndieGoGo.
“Because we are huge believers
in grassroots and crowd sourcing,
we wanted to take that route. This
way, anybody from anywhere can
contribute,” says the founder,
Guneeta Singh Bhalla.
Through their grassroots effort,
The 1947 Partition Archive hopes to

train up to 1000 Citizen Historians
and preserve 3000 witness accounts
in 2014. The crowdsourced funds
raised from their IndieGoGo campaign
will enable all the tools needed to
reach this goal.
“I feel like I was forced into exile,”
recalls refugee and witness G. S.
Sekhon.
“Except I did nothing wrong to
deserve that.”
A partition library is presently
under construction. Once completed,
the library will be a compilation of
all known resources on the 1947
partition managed by a team of
volunteer staff and interns, and kept
updated through your contributions.
For more information:
www.1947partitionarchive.org
Source: Media release,
January 24, 2014

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

The year 1947
marked the end of the
British rule in South
Asia, as well as the
birth of India and
Pakistan. During the
transfer of power, law
and order broke down.

rissa, India : In
a striking and
emotional moment,
Abhishek Bachchan,
who has been named
the first END7 Campaign
Ambassador in India by The
Global Network for Neglected
Tropical Diseases (Global
Network), poured water over
the feet of an elderly man
suffering from lymphatic
filariasis (elephantiasis), a
debilitating and disfiguring
neglected tropical disease
(NTD), at the Banamalipur
Resource Centre run by
Church’s Auxiliary for Social
Action (CASA) just outside of
Bhubaneswar in Orissa, India.
The eastern state of Orissa
has one of the highest burdens
of NTDs in the country.
Mr. Bachchan met
women and men suffering
from lymphatic filariasis.
These patients shared
heartbreaking stories with
him, including how the
stigma and shame associated
with the disease’s massive
swelling prevented them or
their children from marrying,
securing employment and
socializing freely within
their own communities. He
also witnessed first-hand
various disease management
and disability prevention
techniques, including washing,
drying, exercise, massage,
and elevation of the limbs, to
alleviate some of the suffering.
"We have a staggering
proportion of fellow Indians

Emotional moment as star pours water over the feet of elderly man infected with lymphatic
filariasis (elephantiasis) PHOTO: Supplied.
who are infected by or at risk
of contracting at least one
NTD.” said Mr. Bachchan.
"My first site visit with END7
has been a deeply moving,
personal experience that
allowed me to understand how
these diseases can devastate
entire families through the
pain and stigma they cause,"
he continued. "We are making
good progress and have free,
safe treatments available.
But we must build greater

momentum and every Indian
should do their part to help
make defeating NTDs by 2020
our country's next big health
success story."
Maintaining the progress
that India has gained against
NTDs is crucial as India comes
closer to achieving the control
and elimination of five NTDs
by 2020. Mr Bachchan will
play a key role in drawing
attention to NTDs as an
achievable health priority for

India, educating the public
about the impact of NTDs
and the importance of public
participation in free NTD
treatment programs, whilst
also encouraging national
and state level policymakers
to continue making the costeffective investment in NTD
programs.
"The lymphatic filariasis
centre that we visited today
is at the forefront of India's
efforts to combat NTDs," said

elbourne: The two Indian
origin councillors in the
Wyndham Council differ
over the Victorian government’s upcoming Trade Mission to a
few countries including India. The differences cropped up between Cr Gautam Gupta and Cr Intaz Khan during
a Council meeting on 24th February,
2014 during discussion on a motion,
‘Job losses in West’ moved by Councillor Gautam Gupta and Cr John Gibbons. In fact, Cr Intaz Khan seconded
the motion for urgent discussion.
Cr Intaz Khan supported the Victorian Trade Mission saying it will help
enhance trade between India and
Australia and create jobs. This came in
response to Cr Gautam Gupta’s submission that the money spent on such
missions should instead be spent ‘to
create programs that support em-

ployment in the West’.
“I believe that the State Government had good intentions in running
such multi-million dollar programs
however they could not manage the
outcomes. We need good intentions
and more importantly we need good
governance. I want to know if these
programs have led to job losses via
outsourcing or a net investment, “Cr
Gupta said.
Though the motion was carried
unanimously, the shadow of recent
job losses and its impact on Wyndham City and the broader Western
metropolitan region in relation to
recent announcements by key manufacturers including Ford, Holden, Toyota and Alcoa was evident.
Cr Intaz Khan is part of the Victorian Trade Mission’s education section
representing his college Western Institute of Technology (WIT).
—SAT News Service
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

Dr. Neeraj Mistry, managing
director of the Global Network
for Neglected Tropical
Diseases, the initiative
behind the END7 campaign.
“CASA has a winning model,
treating over 20,000 LF
patients and providing cost
effective medicines to prevent
thousands more cases of LF
in Orissa. By integrating NTD
programs with other health
initiatives on water, sanitation
and nutrition, this centre is a
micro example of what India
can achieve with NTD control
and elimination programs at
greater scale."
Lymphatic filariasis, along
with other NTDs, can be
prevented with a yearly dose
of albendazole or DEC.
Pills to treat the most
common NTDs are donated
by pharmaceutical companies
or procured by the Indian
government, offered free of
charge to the public. Many
NTD programs use existing
infrastructure, such as schools
and community centers, to
administer the medicine,
making NTD treatment one of
the most cost-effective public
health initiatives available
today.
END7 is the first and only
global public awareness
campaign dedicated to
controlling and eliminating the
seven most common NTDs by
2020. It was launched in 2012
by the Global Network for
Neglected Tropical Diseases,
an advocacy initiative of the
Sabin Vaccine Institute.
Source: Sterling Media

South Asia Times
south
asia
28
South Asia
Timestimes

Business

M A R C H

2 0 1 4

Setback for Adani,
GVK as ‘Land Lease’ quits
Abbot Point project

By our business
reporter

B

risbane, Australia
26 February 2014:
Indian coal giants in
Australia Adani and
GVK have suffered a setback
after one of the world’s
largest infrastructure
developers, Lend Lease
announced that it has pulled
out of the highly contentious
AP-X coal terminal at
Abbot Point in Queensland,
alongside Australia’s World
Heritage Listed Great Barrier
Reef.
This follows BHP
Billiton’s decision in
November last year to
withdraw their proposal
to build the Terminal 2
project at Abbot Point
and surrender their
development rights,
ruling out greenfield coal
infrastructure developments
in a slumping coal market.
In 2012 Rio Tinto cited
‘economic uncertainty’ for
shelving plans for its port

development at Fitzroy Delta
in Central Queensland.
This means the only
companies still pursuing
coal terminal developments
at Abbot Point are Indian
giants Adani (Terminal-Zero)
and GVK (Terminal 1) in
partnership with Hancock
Coal Infrastructure. The
health of their financial
projects has been assessed
as poor.
Greenpeace Australia
Pacific Senior Campaigner
Louise Matthiesson said,
“Proponents of coal terminal
expansion at Abbot Point
are increasingly recognising
the environmental,
reputational, material and
financial risks of developing
these damaging projects,
acknowledging there is no
business case to proceed,
and pulling out.
A 2013 report by the
US Institute for Energy
Economics and Financial
Analysis (IEEFA) found
that Adani’s Carmichael
coalmine, rail and terminal

project in Queensland is
“uncommercial”. Similarly,
another IEEFA report in
2013 examined GVK’s
$10bn Alpha coalmine,
rail and terminal project,
finding it was “uneconomic”
and a “quagmire not an
investment”, and warning
that “no investor should
take part”.
When questioned during
today’s (26 Feb., 2014) half
yearly investor briefing,
Lend Lease CEO Mr.Steve
McCann confirmed that
following an internal review
Lend Lease has allowed
their partnership with
Aurizon on the project to
lapse, and were “therefore
no longer involved in the
AP-X project at Abbot
Point.”
Greenpeace has
calculated that the AP-X
development would require
up to 13 million cubic
metres of dredging in the
Great Barrier Reef World
Heritage Area, on top of the
3 million cubic metres of

dredging already approved
for the GVK and Adani
projects. The Lend LeaseAurizon partnership ‘NorthHub’ was shortlisted to
develop the huge new coal
terminal in April 2013 by the
Queensland Government, a
media release says.
The development of
AP-X would require several
million tonnes of seabed
dredging and dumping in
Reef waters. It would lead
to thousands of additional
ship movements each year,
risking damage to the Reef,
its coral and wildlife. The
expansion of Abbot Point
would enable the escalation
of coal mining in the Galilee
and Bowen Basins in central
Queensland.
The Australian Youth
Climate Coalition worked
in pressuring Lend Lease
to withdraw from the AP-X
development due to its
potential impacts on the
world’s climate and the
Great Barrier Reef.
—SAT News Service

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

A 2013 report by
the US Institute
for Energy
Economics
and Financial
Analysis
(IEEFA) found
that Adani’s
Carmichael
coalmine, rail
and terminal
project in
Queensland is
“uncommercial”

M A R C H

business

2 0 1 4

southSouth
asia
times
29
Asia Times

New economic crisis
engulfing developing
countries

By Martin Khor*

G

ENEVA, Mar 6 2014
(IPS) - Several
developing
countries are
now being engulfed in new
economic crises as their
currency and stock markets
are experiencing sharp falls,
and the end is not yet in
sight.
The “sell-off” in emerging
economies has also spilled
over to the American and
European stock markets,
thus causing global turmoil.
Countries whose
currencies were affected in
the second half of January
include Argentina, Turkey,
South Africa, Russia, Brazil
and Chile.
A hike in interest rates
by Turkey and South Africa
has so far failed to stem
the depreciation of their
currencies.
An America market
analyst termed it an
“emerging market flu” and
several global media reports
tend to focus on weaknesses
in individual developing
countries.
However, the broad selloff is a general response to
the “tapering” of purchase
of bonds by the U.S. Federal
Reserve, which marks
the slowdown of its easymoney policy that has been
pumping many hundreds of
billions of dollars into the
banking system.
On Jan. 29, the Federal
Reserve reduced its monthly
asset purchase by another
10 billion dollars to 65
billion dollars, following
the 10 billion reduction in
December. It gave a new
boost to the weakening of
emerging market currencies.
A lot of the Federal
Reserve money pumping
had earlier been taken up
by American investors
and placed in emerging
economies as they searched
for higher yield.
With the tapering
expected to raise yields in
the U.S., money is flowing
out from bonds and stocks
in the emerging economies,
putting pressure on their
currencies. The capital flows
have reversed direction.
The current “emerging
markets sell-off” thus cannot
be explained by ad hoc
events. It is a predictable
and even inevitable part
of a boom-bust cycle in
capital flows to and from
the developing countries,

The depreciation
in currency
and the capital
outflows could
put strains on
the affected
countries’
foreign reserves
and weaken
their balance of
payments.
which originates from
the monetary policies of
developed countries and
the behaviour of their
investment funds.
This cycle, which has
been very destabilising to
the developing economies,
has been facilitated
by the deregulation of
financial markets and the
liberalisation of capital flows
which in the past had been
carefully regulated.
This prompted massive
and increasing bouts of
speculative international
flows by Western investment
funds, motivated by the
search for higher yields.
Emerging economies, having
higher economic growth and
interest rates, attracted the
investors.
Yilmaz Akyuz, chief
economist at South Centre,
analysed the most recent
boom-bust cycles in his
paper Waving or Drowning?
A boom of private
capital flows to developing
countries began in the
early years of the 2000s but
came to an end with the
flight to safety triggered
by the Lehman collapse in
September 2008. However,
the flows recovered quickly.
By 2010-12, net flows to Asia
and Latin America exceeded
the peaks reached before
the crisis.
This recovery was largely
caused by the easy-money
policies and near zero interest
rates in the U.S. and Europe.

In the U.S., the Federal
Reserve pumped 85 billion
dollars a month into the
banking system by buying
bonds. It was hoped the
banks would lend this to
businesses to generate
recovery, but in fact
investors placed much of
the funds in the Western
stock markets and in bonds
and shares in developing
countries.
The surge in capital
inflows led to a strong
recovery in currency, equity
and bond markets of major
developing countries. Some
of these countries welcomed
the new capital inflows and
the boom in asset prices.
But others were upset
that the inflows caused their
currencies to appreciate
(thus making their exports
less competitive) and that
the ultra-easy monetary
policies of developed
countries were part of a
“currency war” to make the
latter more competitive.
In 2013, the capital
inflows into developing
countries weakened due
to the European crisis and
the prospect of the Federal
Reserve “tapering”.
This weakening took
place at a bad time – just
as many of the emerging
economies saw their current
account deficits widen.
Thus, their need for foreign
capital increased just as
inflows became weaker and
unstable.

In May-June 2013 there
was a preview of the current
sell-off when the Federal
Reserve announced it
could soon start “tapering”.
This led to sudden sharp
currency falls including in
India and Indonesia.
However, the Federal
Reserve postponed the taper,
but in December it finally
announced a reduction of its
monthly bond purchase from
85 to 75 billion dollars, with
more to come.
There was then no
sudden sell off in emerging
economies, as the markets
had already anticipated it
and the Federal Reserve
also announced that interest
rates would be kept at
current low levels until the
end of 2015.
By now, however, the
investment mood had
already turned against the
emerging economies. Many
of them were now termed
“fragile”, especially those
with current account deficits
and dependent on capital
inflows.
Many of the so-called
fragile countries are in
fact members of the BRICS
(Brazil, Russia, India, China
and South Africa) that had
been viewed just a few years
before as the most powerful
emerging economies driving
global growth.
In this atmosphere of
deepening concerns, it just
required a “trigger” to cause
a simultaneous sell-off in

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

currencies and markets of
developing countries.
Several factors were to
emerge which together
constituted a trigger.
These were a “flash” report
indicating contraction of
manufacturing in China;
the sudden fall in the
Argentinian peso; and
expectations of further
tapering by the Federal
Reserve.
For two days (Jan. 23
and 24) the currencies and
stock markets of several
developing countries
were in turmoil, which
spilled over to the U.S. and
European stock markets.
The turmoil continued
into the following week,
seeming to confirm investor
disenchantment with
emerging economies, and a
reversal of capital flows.
The depreciation in
currency and the capital
outflows could put strains
on the affected countries’
foreign reserves and weaken
their balance of payments.
The accompanying
fall in currency would
have positive effects on
export competitiveness,
but negative impacts in
accelerating inflation (as
import prices go up) and
debt servicing (as more
local currency is needed to
repay the same amount of
debt denominated in foreign
currencies).
*Martin Khor is executive
director of the South Centre.

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ASHINGTON, Mar 10 2014
(IPS) - The multinational
food giant Mars, Inc.
unveiled Monday a new
set of guidelines aimed at ensuring
that its palm oil supply lines are
completely traceable and sustainable
by next year.
Global demand for palm oil has
increased substantially in recent
years, for use in both foods and
household goods. Yet the industry,
overwhelmingly centred in Malaysia
and Indonesia, has been rife with
environmental and labour problems.
"This isn’t an activist-led
commitment. They’re doing it because
they want to do it." -- Bastien Sachet
Recent months, however, have
seen a cascade of major reform
commitments from both palm oil
suppliers and well-known consumer
brands such as Mars.
“Rapid expansion of palm oil
plantations continues to threaten
environmentally sensitive areas of
tropical rainforest and carbon-rich
peatlands, as well as the rights of
communities that depend on them for
their livelihoods,” Barry Parkin, chief
sustainability officer at Mars, best
known as the maker of M&Ms and
other candies, said Monday.
“We believe that these additional
measures will not only help build a
genuinely sustainable pipeline for
Mars, but will also help accelerate
change across the industry by
encouraging our suppliers to only
source from companies whose
plantations and farms are responsibly
run.”
Under the new guidelines, Mars
will require that all of its suppliers
have in place sourcing plans that
are both fully sustainable and fully
traceable by the end of this year, to be
implemented by the end of 2015. The
company, headquartered just outside
of Washington, is also instituting a “no
deforestation” pledge for its palm oil
supply as well as its sourcing of paper
pulp, soy and beef.
“Four years ago, Nestle decided
to go for full traceability and no
deforestation, but at the time that
decision was seen as very niche
because it was being pushed by
environmental activists,” Bastien
Sachet, director of the Forest Trust, a
global watchdog group that focuses
on responsible products and whose
newest member is Mars, told IPS.
“The great thing about Mars,
particularly in their push against
deforestation across commodities,
is that this isn’t an activist-led
commitment. They’re doing it because
they want to do it, which means that
they see what’s happening.”
In this, Sachet refers to a growing
trend from both palm oil supply
companies and major consumer
brands to recognise that previous
industry certification efforts to clean
up palm oil supply lines have been
relatively ineffective. Ensuring the
traceability of palm oil, on the other
hand, turns this certification model
upside-down.

“Over the last four years, the
general public, industry and the
brands have struggled to make
progress on sustainability with the
tool of certification. Meanwhile, we
saw forests being trashed in Malaysia
and Indonesia, a process that’s also
beginning in Africa,” Sachet says.
“But now they’re realising that
certification is not the only way to
go. Instead, we can get traceability
first, figure out where it’s coming from
and then figure out what’s happening
around its production. Eventually we
can incentivise those guys who are
doing well with more market share –
and penalise those that aren’t.”
While much of the industry is
currently based in Southeast Asia,
many observers point to looming
problems in Africa, where land
is starting to be snapped up by
speculators. Yet Sachet says the
new policies being put in place by
the global food industry could be
laying the grounds for finding a
balance between development and
conservation throughout the palm oil
industry.

Half the supply

A voluntary certification process
for responsible palm oil production,
known as the Roundtable on
Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), has
been in effect for a decade, and most
of the major users of palm products
do abide by its guidelines. Yet it’s
become increasingly clear that RSPO
certification has been unable to halt
the industry’s mass deforestation and
destruction of endangered habitat.
Mars’s Parkin notes that his
company “recognised that even
though we have already implemented
a 100% certified supply of palm oil,
this is not enough.”
Other major brands have made
similar realisations in recent months,
including Unilever, Hershey, Kellogg
and L’Oreal. Perhaps more critically,
this trend has now included some of
the largest global palm oil suppliers,
including Wilmar (in December) and

Golden Agri Resources (GAR, just last
week).
Wilmar alone accounts for more
than 40 percent of the global palm
oil supply. Altogether, companies
controlling a bit more than half of that
supply have now committed to having
their products be deforestation free
by 2015.
As recently as the middle of last
year, that figure was zero.
“There has been progress and I
definitely think we’re on the right
track, though there’s still a long way
to go,” Calen May-Tobin, lead analyst
for the TropicalForest and Climate
Initiative at the Union of Concerned
Scientists (USC), a watchdog group
here, told IPS.
“It’s also important to remember
that these are still just public
commitments. The action happens
when these commitments get
turned into policies and are actually
implemented.
Last week, UCS released a
scorecard that rated palm oil-related
sustainability progress by the
packaged food, fast food and personal
care industries. May-Tobin, who was
a co-author on the new report, notes
that much of the new public pressure
has been aimed at the packaged-food
companies.
“On the one hand, it’s clear that
when consumers speak up, these
companies listen. On the other hand,
I think the report’s major finding was
how poorly the fast-food sector did,”
May-Tobin says.
“Further, there are still a number
of other large traders that now need
to follow Wilmar and GAR’s example.
We think the consumer companies
are equally key in helping drive the
traders, as the average consumer
doesn’t necessarily know who Bungee
or Cargill is, but they know Hershey
and Mars.”
Advocacy groups are using the
recent momentum to urge holdout
companies to unveil their own
commitments. Greenpeace, the
group widely credited with pushing

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

Global demand for
palm oil has increased
substantially in recent
years, for use in both
foods and household
goods. Yet the industry,
overwhelmingly
centred in Malaysia
and Indonesia,
has been rife with
environmental and
labour problems.
Nestle to make its landmark pledges
in 2010, is currently focusing on the
U.S. consumer-goods giant Procter &
Gamble (P&G).
“Mars joins a growing list of
companies … that are finally
promising forest-friendly products
to their consumers. It shows that
global public pressure is working,
and is leaving P&G, which refuses
to clean up their supply chains,
increasingly isolated,” Areeba Hamid,
forest campaigner at Greenpeace
International, said Monday.
“P&G is relying on a certification
scheme that has failed to prevent
rainforest destruction in the habitat
of endangered orangutans, or help
reduce man-made fires like the ones
that covered Singapore in smog last
summer. It’s time P&G finally becomes
proud sponsors of rainforests and
commits to No Deforestation.”

southSouth
asia
times
35
Asia Times

Entertainment

M A R C H

2 0 1 4

South Asia Times

Akshay
Kumar’s
flying visit
to the set
of ‘Holiday’
By Carey L. Biron

P

une: Always the
consummate professional,
the super cool and
talented Akshay Kumar
recently undertook a mammoth
feat to ensure he arrived on
the set of his forthcoming film
‘Holiday’ on time. The action
star and sports fanatic boarded
a state-of-the-art chopper
(helicopter) and then rode a
customised motorbike to the
awaiting production crew and his
co-stars.
The uber-busy Akshay was in
the Maharashtra metropolis of
Pune, where he was shooting for
the film ‘Gabbar’, when he was
called to Mumbai for the next day
to complete a song sequence from
his upcoming action-thriller movie
‘Holiday’. Not one to let time or
tide stand in his way, the multi-

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

tasking Akshay hopped straight
aboard a chopper and then rode
his motorbike from Mumbai
Airport to the suburban studio in
Bandra in order to reach the set
by the next day afternoon.
A source explained: ‘Akshay
Kumar was supposed to reach
the studio around 4pm and
he reached there on time. The
film’s director and his team were
surprised to see him ride in on
the bike. They expected him to
get late as he was coming all the
way from Pune. But the fact is that
Akshay often takes his bike to
reach shoots on time.’
The delectable Akshay then
made it a trio of transport modes,
as he left the Holiday set in a car!
‘Holiday: A Soldier Is Never
Off Duty’ is an action thriller
remake of the 2012 hit Tamil film
Thuppakki and is written and
directed by A.R. Murugadoss
(Thuppakki, Ghajini). It features
a stellar cast, including Akshay
Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha in
the lead roles and veteran actor
Govinda in a supporting role. The
film is scheduled to release on
6th June 2014 internationally by
Reliance Entertainment.
Source: Sterling Media

South Asia Times
south
asia
36
South Asia
Timestimes

Sports

M A R C H

2 0 1 4

Clinical Sri Lanka canters
to Asia Cup title

By our business
reporter

L

ess than a fortnight
ago, the Asia Cup
got underway with
Lahiru Thirimanne
hitting a century and Lasith
Malinga taking a five-wicket
haul in a Sri Lankan win
over Pakistan. On Saturday
(March 8), the tournament
ended with a nice touch
of symmetry as the same
actors reprised their roles
with the same result.
Malinga’s 5 for 56 ensured
Pakistan was kept to a
manageable total, after
which Thirimanne stroked
101 in 108 balls to lead his
side’s charge towards its
fifth Asia Cup title – tying for
the record of most trophies
in the tournament with
India. It also meant Sri Lanka
maintained its spotless
record in the tournament as
well as in Bangladesh since
late January, completing
a five-wicket win in just
46.2 overs with clinical
domination.
Fawad Alam’s century had
headlined Pakistan’s 260 for
5 at Sher-e-Bangla stadium,
but Sri Lanka’s response was
in keeping with how its stay
in in Bangladesh had gone:
finding the right men for the
occasion, efficiently cutting
down on its own mistakes
and maximising on its
opponents’, and emerging
winners at the end. Fittingly,
Angelo Mathews, the
captain, struck the winning
runs, flicking Mohammad
Talha to square leg.
The title-run marked a
nice turnaround from the
previous edition in 2012,
when Sri Lanka stumbled
from one defeat to the next
before crashing out winless.
Thirimanne was Sri
Lanka’s man for the chase
and he received excellent
support from Mahela
Jayawardene, who had
endured a poor tournament
till that point. Jayawardene
found himself warming to
the big stage once again
with a 75 (93 balls) of his
own during a 156-run stand
for the third wicket.
In Sri Lanka’s chase,
Saeed Ajmal bowled with
loop, guile, turn and the
highest craft that could be
expected from a spinner,
taking 3 for 26 in what was
virtually a one-man bowling
resistance. Ajmal’s double
strike in the 11th over of
the chase, accounting for

a rapid Kusal Perera for 42
and Kumar Sangakkara for a
first-ball duck, had breathed
life into the contest, and
left Sri Lanka 56 for 2 after a
quick start. But that was the
last time Pakistan was in it.
Ajmal did strike in his
final over, the 45th of the
innings, castling Thirimanne
with a beauty, but by then
only 14 were required from
35 balls.
During the stand that
mattered, Thirimanne and
Jayawardene made good
use of a generous helping of
hit-me balls, but in spite of
the deliveries bowled on the
legs and those that gave the
batsmen either enough time
or room or both, their skill
and character in what could
have been a challenging
chase was vastly impressive.
Thirimanne was superb
square of the wicket on
either side, flicking and
cutting with elegance. He
had played second fiddle
in the opening stand with
Kusal, but had looked far
more assured, with nary
a wrong shot. The only
bowler who had to be
negotiated very carefully
was Ajmal, and Thirimanne
proved equal to the task.
Of the others, he was alert
enough to keep out the

occasional good delivery
while capitalising when lines
went astray. The one time
he erred, he was let off, with
Umar Akmal slow to react to
a thick edge off Shahid Afridi
when the batsman was on
36 in the 20th over, with the
team score just past 100.
At the other end,
Jayawardene was no
different. In spite of coming
in on the back of low scores,
Jayawardene didn’t hang
about spending too long on
getting his eye in. Mathews
had stressed on how
Jayawardene was a “bigmatch player” and his run of
low scores weren’t a worry,
and Jayawardene set out to
prove his captain right. He
brought up a first fifty in 13
innings, finessing a cut to
the point boundary off Umar
Gul. Off the next ball, he was
put down in the deep by a
diving Mohammad Hafeez
but, by then, with Sri Lanka
184 for 2 and needing 77
off 101 balls, the chase was
motoring along.
Jayawardene was out to
a cross-batted shot that
was out of character, but at
212 for 3 in 37.2 overs, the
fielding side’s shoulders
were already beginning to
droop, and not even the
couple of wickets they got

towards the end could alter
the result.
There was no suggestion
of a droop at the innings
break though, when Alam’s
unbeaten 114 (134 balls) had
held the innings together.
Alam and Misbah-ul-Haq
joined forces at a perilous
18 for 3 in the fifth over, and
resurrected the innings from
there.
The start was down to
Malinga striking once in
each of his first three overs,
taking out Sharjeel Khan,
Ahmed Shehzad and Hafeez.
He would come back to
snare Misbah and break a
122-run stand, and finish
with the wicket of Umar in
the final over to complete
a second five-for in the
tournament.
After Malinga’s initial
strikes, Misbah and Alam
rebuilt carefully, calibrating
their acceleration for
later after first stabilising
the innings. The fourthwicket stand was well past
a hundred when Malinga
was brought back in the
37th over, and he made an
immediate breakthrough,
Misbah holing out to longon. The Pakistan captain
was disappointed with
himself, feeling perhaps
rightly that his wicket hadn’t

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been earned, but could
only walk back for 65 off 98,
leaving his side 140 for 4.
It was the perfect time
for Umar to walk in, and he
didn’t hang about. He kept
busy with the singles and
occasional boundaries,
and exploded in the final
few overs, with Alam
joining in. On 94, Alam
flicked a full ball on the leg
stump over midwicket to
become the first left-hand
middle-order batsman to
hit a century for Pakistan
in ODIs, much to his and
Umar’s delight.
Umar himself seemed
more pleased than Alam at
the achievement, adding to
the revelry of a crowd that
came out in large numbers.
Umar’s 59 off 42 was the
spunkiest innings among
the Pakistan batsmen, full of
superbly timed shots.
The duo put on 115 in
just 13 overs before Umar
fell to Malinga, providing
exhilarating entertainment
in the death overs, as 49
came off the final four.
The finish was good, but
against a side that didn’t
lose control of the chase
from the start, it eventually
turned out to be too little,
too late.
Source: ICC, 8 March, 2014